Global Politics Archives - Kit O'Connell: Approximately 8,000 Words

Noam Chomsky: US Commenced Plan To Dominate ‘Grand Area’ Of The Globe After WWII

President Lyndon Johnson shakes hands with U.S. troops in Vietnam. December 23, 1967. (Wikimedia Commons / White House)

October 27, 2016

Noam Chomsky: US Commenced Plan To Dominate ‘Grand Area’ Of The Globe After WWII

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

World War II marked a crucial turning point for U.S. empire building and the growth of global capitalism, according to the historical analysis of noted political philosopher and scholar Noam Chomsky.

Chomsky examined U.S. domination of world affairs in “Who Owns The World?,” a speech he delivered at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2012. In May, he published a book, “Who Rules The World?,” which examines similar themes.

He revisited the topic in a recent conversation with Zain Raza, a senior editor at the independent media outlet acTVism Munich. An excerpt from that conversation was published on Tuesday as part of acTVism Munich’s “Reexamining History” series.

US Condemns Latest Israeli Land Grab, Still Offers $38B In Military Aid

Israeli soldiers guard settlers at a checkpoint in Palestine. September 24, 2011. (Flickr / Andrew E. Larsen)

October 12, 2016

Kit

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US Condemns Latest Israeli Land Grab, Still Offers $38B In Military Aid

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Just months after agreeing to a record-breaking U.S. military aid package, Israel announced a major new expansion of its illegal settlements in the West Bank of Gaza.

In July, the United States agreed to give Israel $38 billion in military aid over the next 10 years, a dramatic increase from current aid levels. On Sept. 28, the Israeli foreign ministry announced plans to create 98 new housing units in the West Bank of Gaza, drawing condemnation from both the United Nations and the U.S. State Department.

“We strongly condemn the Israeli government’s recent decision to advance a plan that would create a significant new settlement deep in the West Bank,” Mark Toner, deputy State Department spokesperson, said in a statement published online on Oct. 5.

Noam Chomsky: US Had A ‘Pretty Supportive Attitude’ Toward Fascism In 1930s

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, 1937. (Wikimedia Commons / United States Holocaust Memorial Museum / Muzej Revolucije Narodnosti Jugoslavije)

October 7, 2016

Kit

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Noam Chomsky: US Had A ‘Pretty Supportive Attitude’ Toward Fascism In 1930s

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

While the typical narrative of American history positions the United States as a supporter of democracy and opponent of fascism which helped to defeat the Nazis, key figures in Washington also supported dangerous dictators in Italy and Germany in their early days of power.

Noam Chomsky, the renowned political philosopher, historian and scholar, examined the flip side of U.S. opposition to dictatorship in a conversation with Zain Raza, a senior editor at the independent media outlet acTVism Munich. An excerpt from the conversation was published Sept. 30 as part of acTVism Munich’s “Reexamining History” series.

Speaking to Raza about Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, Chomsky said President Franklin Roosevelt was “pretty supportive of Mussolini’s fascism.”

Brazilian President Michel Temer: Dilma Rousseff Impeached Because She Didn’t Support Neoliberalism

Former Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff speaks during impeachment hearings. March 31, 2016. (Wikimedia Commons / Agência Brasil / Antonio Cruz)

September 26, 2016

Kit

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Brazilian President Michel Temer: Dilma Rousseff Impeached Because She Didn’t Support Neoliberalism

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

During a recent appearance at a corporate think tank, Brazilian President Michel Temer admitted that his predecessor, Dilma Rousseff, was impeached because she refused to implement a neoliberal reform plan published by Temer’s party.

Rousseff was formally removed from office on Aug. 31 after the Brazilian senate voted to impeach her for breaking budgetary laws. This allowed Temer to take office despite a court ruling barring him from running for election.

However, Rousseff and other critics of Temer have argued that her impeachment was actually a coup d’etat which set the stage for Temer to take power, backed by a government that’s more favorable to corporate investors.

Most Americans Would Rather See $38 Billion Invested In Vets & Education Than Israeli Military Aid

A jet takes off during a Israeli Air Force training. December 9, 2014. (Flickr / Israel Defense Forces / Alexi Rosenfeld)

September 21, 2016

Kit

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Most Americans Would Rather See $38 Billion Invested In Vets & Education Than Israeli Military Aid

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

The announcement of a massive new aid package recently offered to Israel isn’t sitting well with many Americans, who would rather see the money used domestically, according to a new online poll.

On Sept. 14, the White House announced a Memorandum of Understanding under which the United States will provide Israel with an unprecedented $38 billion in “security assistance” over a ten-year period, between fiscal years 2019 and 2028. At about $3.8 billion annually, the deal marks a significant increase from the current levels of foreign aid to Israel, which total more than $3.1 billion each year.

“The majority of the proposed spending is for Foreign Military Financing to provide Israel advanced and upgraded jet fighters, to continue developing Israel’s missile defense systems and to purchase other U.S. weapons,” Grant Smith on Tuesday, director of the Institute For Research: Middle Eastern Policy, wrote in an analysis published by Antiwar.com on Tuesday.

European Governments Want To Combat Terrorism With Prison Segregation, Solitary Confinement

A captive is escorted by two guards in Guantanamo Bay detention camp on December 2007. (Navy / Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Billings / Wikimedia)

August 30, 2016

Kit

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European Governments Want To Combat Terrorism With Prison Segregation, Solitary Confinement

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

British and French prisons may soon employ controversial methods like solitary confinement and ‘terrorist-only’ units in an effort to curb radicalization efforts in prisons and to keep inmates from turning to terrorism.

Compared to their overall populations, England, Wales and France disproportionately imprison Muslims. A study conducted in March 2015 found that the number of Muslim prisoners in English and Welsh prisons increased 122 percent between 2002 and 2014, while the total number of prisoners only increased 20 percent over the same time period.

And although French laws prevent an exact count of Muslims in prison, it’s estimated that as many as 70 percent of the country’s 67,500 prisoners are Muslim.